From "Five Hundred Wagons Stood Still-Mormon Battalion Wives " By Shirley N. Maynes

 Page 74

 Sarah Steadwell was born March 31, 1814 in Chester, Orange County, New York to Abram Steadwell and Rebecca Sheffield. She was married on July 15, 1832 in Norwalk, Huron County, Ohio to Samuel Wood and became the mother of six children. Sarah divorced Samuel and married James Brown January 10, 1845 in Nauvoo, Hancock County, Illinois.  

James had filled three short missions for the Church. The last one was in North Carolina. After his return and marriage to Sarah, he began operating a sawmill and gristmill. Upon looking at a map, these mills were located either in Nauvoo or Augusta, Iowa. Augusta was located just across the Mississippi River but not far from Illinois. James mentions in his history that he had business in Augusta.  

In 1846, after the expulsion of the Saints from Nauvoo, James took his wives, Esther, Sarah and Abigail and their families along with his family from his first wife, Martha Stephens, who had died in childbirth, and these families journeyed to Iowa. While at Council Bluffs,  

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James Brown enlisted in the Mormon Battalion and became Captain of Company "C". He left from there on July 20, 1846. Before leaving he situated his families at various places in Iowa. Abigail, for a while, was a Mt. Pisgah and Esther and Sarah were near the banks of Council Bluffs. On October 8, 1846, Sarah gave birth to a son she named Harvey. At the time of his birth she was living in a wagon box with three of her children from Samuel Wood. Three of the children had died previously.

James Brown wrote to Abigail, one of his wives, dating the letter August 6, 1847 Salt Lake Valley. At the time he had just bought the three detachments and some of the Mississippi Saints from Pueblo, Colorado. He was about to depart for California to collect pay from the United States government for these three detachments of the Battalion. Before he left for California, he was concerned about his families and wrote to Abigail Smith Abbott Brown. 

In his letter, he mentions that he had heard from both his daughter Nancy and from his wife, Sarah. Both of these women wrote saying "they planned on coming to the Salt Lake Valley as soon as James could provide them with wagons and teams." The letter mentions that Heber C. Kimball had been in contact with the Brown families and he reported that Sarah had not been well. 

In Abigail’s history it tells that James sent the necessary wagons and she, Abigail, made arrangements to send the Brown families remaining in Iowa to the Salt Lake Valley. Sarah and children came in the Brigham Young Company leaving June 1, 1848 and arriving in the Valley on September 20 - 24, 1848. 

After Sarah and her family came into the Valley, she eventually moved to the Ogden area. It is not certain if she lived in Brown’s Fort, but if not, it was nearby. While there, she met Mr. Arthurmer or Ardemis Ithamer Thomas Sprague, who was a blacksmith and had worked for James Brown. Sarah divorced James and in 1849, she married Mr. Sprague.

Sarah became a mother of five children. The family remained in Ogden for many years. She then divorced Mr. Sprague and married Alonzo Le Baron. 

Sarah died March 18, 1893 in Trenton, Cache County, Utah. She is buried in the Cornish City Cemetery, Cache County, Utah. She died just before her seventy-ninth birthday on March 31. 

Children of Samuel Wood and Sarah Steadwell Wood:
Warren Wood born in 1833 in Berlin, Huron County, Ohio
Sylvester Wood born in 1835 in Berlin, Huron County, Ohio — twin — died young
Emma Wood born in 1835 in Berlin, Huron County, Ohio — twin — died young
Charles Wood born June 9, 1837 in Berlin, Huron County, Ohio
George Wood born in 1839 in Berlin, Huron County, Ohio — died young
Joseph Wood born April 19, 1841 in La Harpe, Hancock County, Illinois

Children of James Brown and Sarah Steadwell Wood Brown:
James Harvey Brown born October 8, 1846 in Council Bluffs, Pottawattamie County, Iowa.

Children of Arthurmer Thomas Sprague and Sarah Steadwell Wood Brown Sprague:
Margaret Sprague born in 1849 in Ogden, Weber County, Utah
Ithamer Smith Sprague born December 10, 1852 in Ogden, Weber County, Utah
Sarah Sprague born December 15, 1853 in Ogden, Weber County, Utah
Rebecca (Betsey) Sprague born November 28, 1855 in Ogden, Weber county, Utah
Solomon Abraham born August 10, 1860 in Ogden, Weber County, Utah

[Margaret Sprague, b.Nov 28, 1849, Ogden, Utah; md. Norton W. Curtis.
Ithamer Smith Sprague, b. Dec 10, 1851 Ogden, Utah; md. Anna Maria Leavitt.
Sarah Sprague, b. Dec 15, 1853 Ogden, Utah; md. Nephi James Bates.
Rebecca "Betsey" Sprague, b. Nov 28, 1855 Ogden, Utah; md. Lemuel S. Leavitt.
Solomon Abraham Sprague, b. Aug 10, 1860 Ogden, Utah; md. Sarah Jane Giles.]

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Sources: 

"Five Hundred Wagons Stood Still — Mormon Battalion Wives", by Shirley N. Maynes. U.S.A 1999: pages 74-76. 

Information obtained from a history written on Abigail Smith Abbott Brown by Lois E. Jones and Myron A. Abbott, Jr.

Letter written to Abigail Smith Abbott Brown by her husband, Captain James Brown – dated August 6, 1847 –in possession of Lois J. Smith. 

A Condensed History of Captain James Brown by Gladys Brown White – Utah Historical Society – 300 Rio Grande – Salt Lake City, Utah 

Heart Throbs of the West – Daughters of Utah Pioneers Publication – Daughters of Utah Pioneers Headquarters – Salt Lake City, Utah – Vol. 9 – p. 519 Sarah crossing the plains. 

Family Group Sheets – L.D.S. Family History Library – The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints Headquarters – Salt Lake City, Utah. 

Bold and [bracketed] additional material added by Lucy Brown Archer 

Brown Book of Remembrance written by Hattie Jensen and Loella Brown Tanner prior to 1948